King of Darkness (Chronicles of Yavn, #1)

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King of Darkness (Chronicles of Yavn #1)

by Elisabeth Staab (Goodreads Author)

3.43 of 5 stars 3.43 · rating details · 462 ratings · 99 reviews

This first book in a hot, edgy, dark paranormal romance series from a debut author has all the right stuff: a deep urban fantasy feel, a take-no-crap tough heroine and a sexy, arrogant vampire king who gets his comeuppance.

Isabel Anthony has lived a carefree existence masquerading as human, but when this party-girl meets the king of vampires, her world turns deep, dark, an...more

Paperback, 352 pages

Published February 7th 2012 by Sourcebooks (first published February 1st 2012)

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King of Darkness (Chronicles of Yavn, #1)
by Elisabeth Staab (Goodreads Author)

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Iced (Dani O'Malley #1) by Karen Marie Moning

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Jan 23, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-pnr-sci-fi-romance, 2012-debuts

3.5 stars

Thad Morgan is the new king of the vampires. He has been travelling and searching for weeks for a female, the one prophesied to be his soul mate. Isabel Anthony has been living under the radar finding a home in the rave scene, assuming an identity as a human. She bears a scar in the small of her back identical to the one Thad has on his forearm. And this is the mark of his queen. However Isabel is not quite the queen Thad had imagined. For her part Isabel has no plans to help the race t...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Jess the Romanceaholic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, netgalley, needs-review, vampires, promiscuous-heroine, fated-to-be-mated, paranormal-romance, steam-level-hot

This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.

Expected Release Date: February 1, 2012 (Available Now!)
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Imprint: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Author’s Website: http://elisabethstaab.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 1, Chronicles of Yavn
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Steamy

In the end, this was a good fated-to-be-mated story, lots of steam, plenty of angst, and quite a bit of set-up for future stories. I almo...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Cynthia (aka Artemis) rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Every PNR Romance Reader!

Shelves: paranormal-romance, vampires, wizards

WOW - For a debut novel, I am impressed! Ms. Staab manages to lay the groundwork of her world without it getting shoved down your throat or put in your face. She weaves it into her story in such a way that before you know it - SHAZAM!! - everything just falls into place.

I couldn't help but chuckle over the chosen name of Thad Morgan for the hero/king of the story. That sounds more like a college prep boy than a Vampire King. But Ms. Staab makes it work. Thad turns out to be the rare alpha/beta h...more

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Jan 16, 2013 May Mostly Romance rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

เรารักหนังสือที่ไม่ยึดติดกับสูตรสำเร็จ และเพราะคิดว่าเรื่องนี้จะเป็นไปตามสูตรสำเร็จของหนังสือแนวพานานอมอลก็ทำให้เราวางทิ้งเอาไว้ไม่อ่านอยู่เกือบปี จนกระทั่งเล่มสองออกขาย

ไม่มีอะไรที่เหมือนสูตรในเล่มนี้ในส่วนของคาแร็คเตอร์ แม้ว่าพล็อตเรื่องจะยังเป็นอะไรที่ซ้ำซากเหมือนเดิมอยู่บ้าง เมื่อราชาแห่งแวมไพร์ได้ออกตามหาเจ้าสาวของเขาเพื่อให้เป็นไปตามคำทำนายโบราณ หาไม่แล้วเขาก็จะไม่ได้รับพลังอันเครื่องหมายแห่งอำนาจ

แต่ราชาแห่งแวมไพร์ในเรื่องนี้ชื่อว่า แทด มอร์แกน ขอบอกว่าก่อนจะเริ่มอ่าน เจอว่าพระเอกชื่อแทด ก...more เรารักหนังสือที่ไม่ยึดติดกับสูตรสำเร็จ และเพราะคิดว่าเรื่องนี้จะเป็นไปตามสูตรสำเร็จของหนังสือแนวพานานอมอลก็ทำให้เราวางทิ้งเอาไว้ไม่อ่านอยู่เกือบปี จนกระทั่งเล่มสองออกขาย

ไม่มีอะไรที่เหมือนสูตรในเล่มนี้ในส่วนของคาแร็คเตอร์ แม้ว่าพล็อตเรื่องจะยังเป็นอะไรที่ซ้ำซากเหมือนเดิมอยู่บ้าง เมื่อราชาแห่งแวมไพร์ได้ออกตามหาเจ้าสาวของเขาเพื่อให้เป็นไปตามคำทำนายโบราณ หาไม่แล้วเขาก็จะไม่ได้รับพลังอันเครื่องหมายแห่งอำนาจ

แต่ราชาแห่งแวมไพร์ในเรื่องนี้ชื่อว่า แทด มอร์แกน ขอบอกว่าก่อนจะเริ่มอ่าน เจอว่าพระเอกชื่อแทด ก็อึ้ง ๆ ไป คิดว่ามันไม่โรแมนติกเอาเสียเลย แต่พออ่านก็เห็นว่า ชื่อนี้เหมาะกับเขามาก เพราะแทดไม่ใช่พระเอกแนวอัลฟ่า ออกแนวดาร์คทนทุกข์ แต่เขาคือแวมไพร์หนุ่มอายุแค่ร้อยปี ซึ่งน้อยมากเมื่อเปรียบเทียบกับคนในเผ่าพันธุ์ ทั้งยังไม่ค่อยมั่นใจกับภาระที่ตัวเองได้รับ กลัวว่าจะไม่อาจทำหน้าที่ได้ดีเท่ากับที่พ่อของเขาเคยทำ พระเอกเรื่องนี้ไม่ดาร์ค แต่ไม่ได้ไลท์จนไร้สาระ แต่ลงตัวและเหมือนมนุษย์ที่เรารู้จักในชีวิตประจำวัน มีความไร้เดียงสาในบางเรื่องที่ทำให้เรายิ้มเมื่ออ่านเจอ

นอกจากพระเอกแล้ว คาแร็คเตอร์ตัวอื่นในเรื่องก็ไม่มีอะไรเป็นไปตามแบบที่ควรจะเป็น (ถ้านักเขียนเขียนตามสูตรสำเร็จ) คนที่เราคิดว่าเป็นน้องสาวของแทด ที่เราคิดว่า จะเป็นสาวน้อยตาใสลูกครึ่งมนุษย์และแวมไพร์ ที่ต้องได้รับการปกป้องทนุถนอม กลายเป็นพีสาวที่แก่ว่าแทดยี่สิบปี แถมยังชอบเรียกน้องชายที่เป็นราชาว่า "Baby Brother" ทั้งยังเป็นคนที่มีพลังเก่งกว่าใครในเรื่อง

องครักษ์ของราชาที่น่าจะเป็นคาแร็คเตอร์ที่แสนซื่อสัตย์ และทำทุกอย่างตามหน้าที่ ก็มีอะไรมากกว่าที่เห็น

สรุปว่าคาแร็คเตอร์ในเรื่องนี้ไม่มีใครเป็นอย่างที่คาดคิด แม้ว่าในส่วนของพล็อตจะค่อนข้างซ้ำซากอยู่ (การต่อสู้กันของชนเผ่าแวมไพร์ที่ใกล้สูญพันธุ์กะพ่อมดที่ต้องการพลังของพวกเขา) แต่คาแร็คเตอร์ช่วยกันพยุงให้เราอ่านเล่มนี้ไปตลอดรอดฝั่ง

อ่านเรื่องนี้จบแล้วต้องวิ่ง (ใช้คำนี้เลยค่ะ ไม่ใช่เดิมธรรมดา) ไปหยิบเล่มสองมาอ่าน เรื่องโฆษณาว่า เป็นเรื่องความรักระหว่างศัตรู ลูกชายของผู้นำเหล่าพ่อมด กับพี่สาวของราชาแห่งแวมไพร์ ซึ่งทั้งคู่ออกมาในเล่มนี้ให้เห็นคาแร็คเตอร์กันแล้วทั้ง และไม่มีใครเป็นอย่างที่คิดสักคน (ตอนนี้อ่านไปครึ่งเรื่อง ขอบอกว่าสนุกมากกว่าเล่มนี้ซะอีก)

Edited to Add หลังจากเขียนจบไปแล้ว ก็นึกอะไรเกี่ยวกับเรื่องนี้ได้หลายอย่าง

คงต้องบอกว่า นี่เป็นผลงานเล่มแรกของนักเขียนคนนี้ ดังนั้นจึงไม่หลายอย่างที่ไม่ราบรื่น มีข้อผิดพลาดของนักเขียนหน้าใหม่ เช่นการตายของคาแร็คเตอร์ตัวนึง (ที่ไม่สำคัญในเล่มนี้เท่าไหรนัก) ตายไปแล้ว ก็บรรยายฟื้นขึ้นมา แล้วก็ตายไปใหม่อีกรอบ เลยทำให้เรามีความคิดว่า น่าจะมีอะไรสำคัญในส่วนของการตายแล้วฟื้น (แล้วตาย) ของตาคนนี้บ้าง แต่อ่านไปจนจบเรื่อง ก็ไม่มีอะไรเกิดขึ้น ตายไปแค่นั้นเอง

แล้วเราค่อนข้างชอบการออกนอกเรื่องของตัวละครหลักไปพูดถึงบรรดาตัวละครรองในเรื่อง เราคิดว่าสื่อประเด็นซึ่งเป็นพล็อตใหญ่ของชุดได้ดี แต่ไม่ทำให้โฟกัสของตัวละครหลักสูญเสียไป (แต่ก็ไม่แน่ใจนะคะว่า ที่คิดแบบนี้เพราะเรากรี๊ดกะคาแร็คเตอร์ที่จะเป็นตัวละครหลักในเล่มสองมากรึเปล่า)

เล่มนี้คะแนนที่ 70(less)

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Jun 03, 2012 Mary Balconi rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I got this book wasn't sure if I even wanted to read it because I just came off 2 other vampire series books. I'm glad I didn't blow the book off. Its got a great plot of a New King and Queen, and the best part - its a little different because this one includes wizards. There are battles being faught throughout the book, mysterious circumstances as to why the kings sister and his lead guard are missing. I can't wait to get the next book in the series to see what happens.

Really liked the phr...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Lisa M rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-touch, paranormal-romance, vampire, wizard, paperback-displayed-for-cover-art, own

Thad is king of the vampires and searching for his destined mate. But when he finds her she's not what he expects. Isabel is a party girl at a rave, and wants nothing to do with him. Her human friend is attacked by the vampires' enemies, the wizards, and so she and her friend end up going with Thad and his general back to Thad's estate. Faced with making the decision of whether to stay with Thad or not, Isabel wanders too far from the estate, putting herself and Thad's men in danger.

This story i...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Lucinda rated it 5 of 5 stars

King of Darkness is my first book from author Elisabeth Staab! Can I just say I'm in love with this series! We have vampires, wizards, vamp/wiz, and a ton of twists and turns throughout! Thad and Isabel's story was so painful at times, I wanted to jump on the page and jackslap them both! Smiling. No seriously,from the first page to the last page I was enthralled by them and the secondary characters in this book. If you love sexy vampires like I do you won't be disappointed in this book! Can't wa...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Mel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnr, re-read, psychic-abilities, vampires, wizards

I originally read King of Darkness in March, soon after its release date. I really liked it and was beyond excited for book two, Prince of Power. When it was posted on NetGalley I squeed like a freak and immediately hit request. Thankfully I was given approval for the book but once I started it I realized that I couldn't remember important events from King of Darkness and thought it best to re-read it. I have to say that even having already read this book I didn't want to put it down. The charac...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Kimberly Souza rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved this book and I think all my friends who love paranormal romance should read it asap.

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Feb 18, 2013 Brenda rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'd heard good things about King of Darkness and decided to give it a try. It's a fast paced, good read with complex characters in a rather dark world where vampires are warring with wizards. The heroine is a vampire who's lived on her own with her human best friend, surviving on human blood, taken from people she meets in the party scene. She's sexy, tortured by her past, and trusts no one. Our hero has accepted his role of king after his father has died. He needs a mate to come into his powers...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Marlene rated it 4 of 5 stars

Originally published at Reading Reality

At first I thought it was more than a bit derivative that the vampires in Elisabeth Staab's King of Darkness referred to themselves as "males" and "females" instead of men and women. It sounded way too Black Dagger Brotherhood to me.

Then I thought about it. They aren't actually men, or women. Are they? In Staab's series (and BDB) the vampires are a distinct species from birth, not humans turned vamp. Man is a word for a human male. We don't have a generally...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Mara rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pnr

I was promised:

...a hot, edgy, dark paranormal romance series from a debut author has all the right stuff: a deep urban fantasy feel, a take-no-crap tough heroine and a sexy, arrogant vampire king who gets his comeuppance.

. What I got was a shallow Young Adult mess with some sex in it and too many a wink towards the BDB.

World-building: non-existent. We are never explained an inch of this world. We only know vampires and wizards are enemies. No explanations on anything, even within the book its...more

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Aug 29, 2012 J.A. Ball rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: abandonded

I'm 80% through and forcing myself to continue.

Characters: While I don't hate them, I don't love them either. The main characters were somewhat likable but mostly annoying. I didn't really connect with any of them, even the antagonists. They strike me as a bit immature, especially the vampires who have been around longer than the humans. The main character has been a party girl/vamp for a long time and seems to lack the depth I like in order to connect to her, she had several TSTL (too stupid t...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Starry rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 19, 2012 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, action-adventure, non-erotic, paranormal

Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...

Newly crowned King of Vampires, Thad Morgan, doesn’t simply want to find his destined mate he needs to find her. The safety and fate of the entire Vampire community hinges on Thad coming into his powers. For that to happen he needs to find "the one". Naturally, he'd find her at a late night rave, right?

Elisabeth Staab’s debut novel is fast paced and descriptive. In a refreshing take on vampire wars the villain in the Chronicle of Yavn...more Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...

Newly crowned King of Vampires, Thad Morgan, doesn’t simply want to find his destined mate he needs to find her. The safety and fate of the entire Vampire community hinges on Thad coming into his powers. For that to happen he needs to find "the one". Naturally, he'd find her at a late night rave, right?

Elisabeth Staab’s debut novel is fast paced and descriptive. In a refreshing take on vampire wars the villain in the Chronicle of Yavn are a covey of sadistic wizards out to kill and steal vampire powers. Book one is centered on Thad and Isabel. She’s a vampire seemingly without powers and therefore useless in the vampire community. He needs to find the one that was foretold to be his mate before his own powers can be released.

Thad isn’t the typical hero you might think of when you hear “king of the vampires”. Most readers would assume he’s going to be a super-pumped up alpha male with heaping doses of self confidence. On the contrary, Thad isn’t nearly as confident as he needs to be to garner the respect of his people. A queen at his side would go a long way in changing the minds of the vampires to support and obey Thad.

Likewise, Isabel “Izzy” is hardly “queen” material. As I mentioned, she doesn’t have a power since her parents didn’t have power. Or does she? It took me a little while to buy into Thad and Isabel’s attraction but that’s okay because it took them a while as well. The sexual chemistry is there in spades and they take full advantage to explore those sparks every chance they get. The sex is descriptive and intense but Ms. Staab does a good job not making it the focus of the story.

I was hooked from the moment Thad laid eyes on Isabel. She isn’t at all what he expected but he soon realizes she’s exactly what he needs. When Isabel and her human roommate, Alexia, are attacked Isabel comes to terms with needing Thad as well. Their relationship is rocky for a while due to a distinct lack of trust and lots of miscommunication but in the end the lust they felt early on grows into love.

The secondary characters in this book make a strong impression and are sure to be seen again soon. In fact, Ms. Staab has already noted that Anton and Tyra’s story will be out next with Prince of Power. I’ll be interested in seeing how they reconcile their major differences in the coming book. Another sub-plot that captured my attention was between Thad’s protector and friend Lee and the very human spitfire, Alexia. I’m not sure Lee knows quite what to do with her but he certainly wants her!

This series has some real potential. It works well to give readers a taste of the world Ms. Staab has created as well as a preview of things to come. Since this is the first book in the series, it’s the perfect opportunity to get a taste of Ms. Staab’s talent and be a part of a striking unique new series.(less)

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Feb 24, 2012 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Isabel Anthony is a Party Girl who frequents raves to get a sip of the best...blood. Isabel is a vampire, but because she has no power she lives outside vampire communities and that's just fine with her. She has been free and on her own since she was 13 years old...answerable to no one.
Thad Morgan is heir apparent to the crown governing vampires. The only step left is to find his prophesied Queen and come into his power. Finding Isabel, Thad makes his immediate move, thinking his search is over...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Molly rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

Recommended to Molly by: NetGalley

Shelves: book-review

Wizards, Vampires, Humans, OH MY!!! Oh. Emm. Gee. This book was totally, incredibly AWESOME! Elizabeth Staab pulled me into the story instantly, kept me hooked with the suspense and the laughs, not to mention the sexy, gorgeous Vamp guys, and didn't let me go until I reached that last page. When I reached the last page, well, let's just say that I cried.....but NOT for the reason you may think. It's because now I have to WAIT for another one to release, and I don't think I'll be patient enough f...more Wizards, Vampires, Humans, OH MY!!! Oh. Emm. Gee. This book was totally, incredibly AWESOME! Elizabeth Staab pulled me into the story instantly, kept me hooked with the suspense and the laughs, not to mention the sexy, gorgeous Vamp guys, and didn't let me go until I reached that last page. When I reached the last page, well, let's just say that I cried.....but NOT for the reason you may think. It's because now I have to WAIT for another one to release, and I don't think I'll be patient enough for that! :-)

Thad Morgan is a vampire to DIE for! Literally! I could picture him in front of me, and oh la la! His character was heartfelt and true, and really knew what he wanted when he was looking for Isabel. He's destined to be King, but first, he has to get his power. That's something he needs to find his mate for, but only ONE woman, Isabel, could be her, for she bears the identical brand that he does. Convincing her, however, is a totally different thing.

Isabel is a beautiful vampire, but she's been alone for far too long, after the death of her parents. She'll only feed on humans and won't date for long periods of time. What she can't understand though, is why on Earth her back won't stop hurting since she was branded. That is, until she meets Thad. When a wizard shows up to where she and her best friend Alexia live, Thad's forced to get her...and her friend, Alexia....out of there and back to his mansion in Virginia. Once there, things begin to happen to Isabel that she just can't explain. Especially between her and her King. Until something, or someone wants her dead, and Thad will do what ever it takes to let her know that she WILL be his Queen and not just because they're destined for it.....will she finally realize her destiny? Or will it be too late?

Reading about these amazing vampires, was, as I said, AWESOME. I haven't read many paranormal vampire novels, but boy, oh boy am I ever glad that I have started because there's just something super sexy about a caring, loving vampire! Elizabeth Staab did an incredible job at creating Thad and Isabel's characters. While the book focuses on them, Ms. Staab adds amazing secondary themes and characters with Lee, Tyra, Anton, and Siddoh. I could see them all come to life before me and the book played out in front of me perfectly.

If you are looking for a novel that will hook you with so many elements, from anger to happiness to laughs and thrilling suspense, then look no further than Ms. Staab's fantabulous 5 Book worthy novel. It will hook you start to finish, and leave YOU crying at the end when you realize you have to WAIT! I can't wait to see what Prince Of Power, Anton and Tyra's story holds for Ms. Staab's readers! Can't wait until 2013 for that one!

This review originated at Reviews By Molly. (less)

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Dec 22, 2012 Vanessa theJeepDiva rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, paranormal-romance

Thad has not been king of the vampire race for long. He has doubts about how he will ever fill his father’s shoes. He is also running around the country looking for the bride that was prophesized as his at the time of his birth. And because he does not have enough on his plate he has to deal with the fact that the wizards are hunting his vampire race into extinction. The fact that he finds his future queen in a rave club, dressed like a naughty school girl, with her fangs buried into the neck of...more Thad has not been king of the vampire race for long. He has doubts about how he will ever fill his father’s shoes. He is also running around the country looking for the bride that was prophesized as his at the time of his birth. And because he does not have enough on his plate he has to deal with the fact that the wizards are hunting his vampire race into extinction. The fact that he finds his future queen in a rave club, dressed like a naughty school girl, with her fangs buried into the neck of another chick…really no stress as the king.

Isabel loves to party. She has few responsibilities. Her best friend and roommate is a human. Isabel has never lived in a society where she was surrounded by other vampires and she has never known the threat of a wizard attack. She now has to deal with tall, dark, and moody telling her that she is the queen of a race that she has never embraced as hers.

I found that I could not help but love Thad. He is not the typical hero. He has doubts about so many things, yet he never read as insecure. He had the attitude of ‘I can do this, I will probably screw it up, but I will succeed eventually.’ I want to know more about some of his vampire warriors, Lee and Siddoh specifically. Siddoh has snark. He also finds humor in almost everything and at inopportune moments. He was easy to laugh at.

I would like to have known a little more about the wizard conflict. I’m sure as the series goes on readers will learn more. I’m always curious about the origin of conflicts, the big evils reasons behind what they are after, or any little bit of info. I guess that is one of the reasons I love reading from the villains point of view. I’m hoping that some of the wizard issues will be explored more in the next book, the hero is a wizard.

Overall this is a great read. The author has created an entire cast of interesting characters that I am looking forward to reading more of. Staab has a smooth writing style that makes the book flow easily. I found that it was very easy to get lost in King of Darkness. I can’t wait to read how Anton and Tyra get to their happily ever after.
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Jan 30, 2012 Trish rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-vampire

I love a good vamp story, one that you can really sink your, er…teeth into, lol.

Something that gives a different twist to the mythical creature and has me sitting on my seat waiting for the next chapter.

Elisabeth Staab’s debut book, King of Darkness, doesn’t offer much originality, although it is a decent read. I am sure fans of the paranormal genre will flock to it for the simple fact that it is a vampire romance. However, her hero, Thad Morgan, never completely took over the role as the ultim...more

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Feb 19, 2012 t'irla ~The BookSlayer~ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: misc-pnr-uf, paranormal-romance, owned

Synopsis:
This first book in a hot, edgy, dark paranormal romance series from a debut author has all the right stuff: a deep urban fantasy feel, a take-no-crap tough heroine and a sexy, arrogant vampire king who gets his comeuppance.

Isabel Anthony has lived a carefree existence masquerading as human, but when this party-girl meets the king of vampires, her world turns deep, dark, and dangerous double-quick. Thad Morgan is looking for the prophesied mate who will unlock his powers. But when he fin...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Rosario (http://rosario.blogspot.com/) rated it 4 of 5 stars

King of Darkness is a hugely promising start to a paranormal romance series. Of course, since I'm saying it was "promising", rather than "great", you can probably guess I had ISSUES with it.

Thad Morgan is the new vampire king. Since his parents' death, however, he hasn't quite assumed all the responsibilities of his role. It's a heavy load, as the vampire race is under threat from their enemies, wizards who kill vampires in order to steal their powers. Not to mention, sections of the vampire co...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires

This book earned a 3.5 in my opinion. I really wanted to rate it higher, and I feel like this series has a lot of potential and will just improve over time.

As a debut book, I get that there's a lot of world building going on and a lot of authors have a few hiccups before the series really gets underway. This is the case with King of Darkness. The characters were endearing - I liked Thad because he wasn't the typical alpha male tough guy who cannot be defeated. I really liked Isabel because even...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Talk Supe Blogspot rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Talk Supe by: Novels On The Run

Braine's Review

Another "first". This is my first Elisabeth Staab book and I assure you it won't be the last! First off I want to thank my blog bestie, my Matey, Michelle of Novels On The Run for recommending this book. This is why I love book chatting with this Aussie because we get each other's taste when it comes to sexy.

Anyway, King of Darkness is a wonderful introduction to the series. Its character driven and each one of Staab's vamps, human and villain have distinct voices. The banter is s...more Braine's Review

Another "first". This is my first Elisabeth Staab book and I assure you it won't be the last! First off I want to thank my blog bestie, my Matey, Michelle of Novels On The Run for recommending this book. This is why I love book chatting with this Aussie because we get each other's taste when it comes to sexy.

Anyway, King of Darkness is a wonderful introduction to the series. Its character driven and each one of Staab's vamps, human and villain have distinct voices. The banter is snarky and funny and the heat level will make your windows, or in my case my eyeglasses, steam. The world building is great as well, the vamps are on the d/l, there's only a few of them and Thad has to protect and reign them in before their nemesis, those pesky Wizards, annihilate their race. A little trivia, I love how these vamps treats red wine like a frickin controlled substance, apparently the tannin gives them a high similar to what E can do to you.

There's a bunch of relationships budding and building and the main focus is between [King] Thad Yavn Morgan and Isabel Anthony. There's some formula thing going on for this two but if it ain't broke right? Going back they're destined for each other and there's a prophecy that Thad will need Isabel by his side to basically make his reign successful. Again the heat level between this two was scorching and literally they make the air hiss between them. What I find interesting and funny is how Thad, being older than Isabel by at least a hundred years, is such a gentleman. He's noble and from the get go he never treated Isabel in a casual way. Isabel being a woman of this century is more emotionally detached and outgoing. So when The Talk came it's both sweet and hilarious how much Thad is acting so emotional while Isabel is so guarded and nonchalant. Love the role reversal.

As I mentioned, as King of Darkness is the introduction to the series, we also get to meet the other characters, how they're connected to each other and Staab gave us hints of what their romantic situations are or will be like in the succeeding books. Aside from the protagonists, the villains are well developed too! Staab gives us a great background for them, outlining how they threaten Thad and the dwindling vampire community. This equal page time between two camps heightens the importance of Thad's cause and the intensity of the street war going on between them.

I don't want to speak too soon but Chronicles of Yavn (pronounced Yavin w/c Staab shares means Yet Another Vampire Novel) is a great, sexy PNR. My upsell is this: If you love BDB you'll definitely have a blast with this.

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Apr 02, 2012 Nawnee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-couldn-t-put-down, hot-and-steamy-yum-yum

This book was a big surprise for me, I had grabbed it thinking it would be an easy read and probably not an author I would feel the need to follow I have to many series I follow as is. So I was hoping for a nonseries book that was just a fun read. This definitely was anfun easy read, but what surprised me was how much I liked the character's right away. I found myself wrapped up in the plot right from the first page, this doesn't often happen with new authors for me its actually pretty rare. Som...more

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May 31, 2012 Mel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-book, pnr, vampires

Great beginning to a PNR vampire series. Think Heroes with fangs. I thoroughly enjoyed the world that Elisabeth Staab has created and look forward to Prince of Power, the second book in the Chronicles of Yavn series. If you like your PNR hot, steamy, fangy and different give King of Darkness a chance. You won't be disappointed.

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Mar 13, 2012 Tracy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, netgalley, arc

~* 3.5 Stars *~
The King Stumbles a Bit
Newly ascended vampire king Thad Morgan has spent weeks searching for the female who is prophesied to rule by his side as his queen. The last place he expected to find her was in a crowded industrial dance club in Orlando, a club stuffed with sweaty, writhing humans doing all manner of shocking things. Wait. Scratch that. The very last place was on an upper floor in said club, specifically the VIP room - surely some horrific euphemism for a porn palace given...more

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Feb 09, 2012 Crystal ♥ RBtWBC rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: request-netgalley, request-publisher

3.5-4 Stars
Dark, passionate and full of suspense, King of Darkness makes for an intriguing start to an exciting new series!

After her parents were shunned by their own kind, Isabel Anthony and her family moved to the human world. At the tender age of thirteen though, Isabel loses her parents in a tragic accident and is orphaned, leaving her alone as a young vampire among humans. Now, years later, Isabel lives one party at a time. Hopping through clubs and raves, imbibing in red wine and drinking...more 3.5-4 Stars
Dark, passionate and full of suspense, King of Darkness makes for an intriguing start to an exciting new series!

After her parents were shunned by their own kind, Isabel Anthony and her family moved to the human world. At the tender age of thirteen though, Isabel loses her parents in a tragic accident and is orphaned, leaving her alone as a young vampire among humans. Now, years later, Isabel lives one party at a time. Hopping through clubs and raves, imbibing in red wine and drinking from humans she is free from responsibilities and attachments. Until the King of the Vampire’s shows up in the club with some farfetched idea about her being his destined mate, turning her life upside down.
Thad Morgan is the new and somewhat reluctant King of the Vampires after the recent passing of his father. Now he is traveling across the country searching for the mate an oracle foresaw unlocking his powers and helping him rule when Thad was first born; the female vampire that he finally catches up with at a rave if Florida though is a far cry from the mate he expected to find. Now Thad must convince Isabel that she is destined for more than just that party girl life style and woo her into a future with him by her side. Can Thad keep Isabel from running or will she fall right into the arms of their enemies?

The basis of the plot in King of Darkness really intrigued me. Thad is a new king, unsure of himself and his abilities as king searching for his destined mate. The author takes a new path in the paranormal romance genre with a hero that is not your typical alpha male vampire. The vampires themselves keep separate from humans and drink from each other for strength as human blood holds no power for them. Also, each vampire has their own unique gift though some never come into them, like Isabel’s parents. The enemies of the vampires are wizards who are a power hungry group that gain their abilities by consuming vampires and absorbing their powers. A unique twist for vampire romances but the icing on the cake is that drugs and such don’t affect vampires but red wine intoxicates them and has the side effect like ecstasy would for humans. This provided an interesting setting for the romance in the story.

Thad is a strong yet vulnerable character, uncertain in his ability to live up to his father’s name as King. When Thad meets up with Isabel his confidence is thrown another curve. Their relationship starts off pretty rocky and I had a hard time seeing these two jive together, the attraction was there with plenty of spark but there was nothing solid beneath it. As the story progresses though and misunderstandings are corrected and communication more opened, their relationship begins to flow. Two sub-romances between secondary characters are interwoven into the main plot giving the story another layer of depth and I look forward to reading more about these characters in future installments. As with most debut novels in a series, there was a lot of world building and the first half of the book was an introduction to this dark new world but I found it well written.

All in all, King of Darkness was a good debut for the author; the action, romance and suspense kept me turning the pages and the different characters kept me captivated. I would definitely say that author Elisabeth Staab is a bold new voice in vampire romance and I look forward to reading more from her.

I waffled between a 3.5 - 4 with this one because of the main character's shaky start but lean more towards a 4.
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Mar 05, 2012 Jenni Ebba rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a pretty cool novel by debut author Elisabeth Staab. The book was about vampires, but their foe is a little different than most paranormal books I read, they were wizards. I wanted to give this book more stars, but parts of it seemed a little contrived, such as Isabel's and Thad's romance. I am a little tired of the destined mates idea, but otherwise a very nice story.
The story starts off with Thad looking for his destined mate and expecting to find a regal ready-made queen, instead he...more

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Dec 22, 2012 Novels On The Run rated it 4 of 5 stars

BOOK REVIEW by Michelle 14th DECEMBER 2012:

RATING: 4 THAD, LEE & SIDDOH STARS!!

‘T’ aka Thad Morgan has recently inherited the role of King of the Vampires. His tattoo is heating up and sending him in the direction of Club Insomniac with Lee his right hand man as his protector. His tattoo, a crudely depicted cross on his forearm is signalling to him, pulsing when he is getting closer to his would be mate.

Lee and Thad come across ‘would be mate’ and find her tapping into the blood of a girl...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Proserpine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Thad and Isabel were the perfect characters that blend into a stunning and delectable well written story about vampires, wizards (???) and a prophecy who's mixed up to create an enthralling, fast-paced and original PNR book.

I'm a vamps freak and I totally fell for this new take on vampire’s story. Hell yeah, vampires against wizards, I don't read a lot about this in PNR world! This one was new to me and I was instantly transported into this lethal world!

The story was more based on the prophecy...more Thad and Isabel were the perfect characters that blend into a stunning and delectable well written story about vampires, wizards (???) and a prophecy who's mixed up to create an enthralling, fast-paced and original PNR book.

I'm a vamps freak and I totally fell for this new take on vampire’s story. Hell yeah, vampires against wizards, I don't read a lot about this in PNR world! This one was new to me and I was instantly transported into this lethal world!

The story was more based on the prophecy between Thad, the future king of vampires, and is mate to-be Isabel, who's living outside the vampires ''stronghold''. The vampires and wizards are at war for century: wizard gets the power by stealing the life force (that's the way I understand it) of the vampires and by doing so, killing the poor vamps.

Isabel was a kind of an outcast by living outside the wall of the vampire’s city, but when she meet Thad, the reaction/attraction between them is undeniable and she totally freak out. Even if Thad is handsome, super sexy and seems to take a great care of his people, all he wants is to be able to protect the vampires and find his true mate. The romance between them was wild and hot so I give my hot chocolate love!

I appreciated the action and all the characters in this novel! The wizards are a bunch of pure sadistic. They only crave for more power, but we don't really get into the world in the first book. We meet the ''bad Guy'' but we only get a glimpse of what they really are!

I really love the use of humour in this story. The author Elisabeth Staab did a really good job with this first book of the Chronicles of Yavn #1. I enjoy the world she created and I was eager to read something different about vampires. There were some sad moments that almost make me cry and some pretty funny too! I love to read about arrogant and strong male who falls for the beautiful/kick-ass female! I don't want to sell all the punch so I won't say more, but I truly recommend this book to every vampire’s fans and PNR lovers.
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About Elisabeth Staab

Elisabeth Staab still lives with her nose in a book and at least one foot in an imaginary world. She believes that all kinds of safe and sane love should be celebrated but she adores the fantasy-filled realm of paranormal romance the best. She lives in the Washington DC area
with her family and one big scaredy cat, where she loves to spend time with good friends, go dancing, collect wacky coffee mu...more

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Books by Elisabeth Staab

Prince of Power (Chronicles of Yavn, #2)

Hunter by Night (Chronicles of Yavn, #3)

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Quotes from King of Darkness

“The phone beeped - M fine but these two guys R on me like cougars on Adam Lambert.” — 3 people liked it

“The big male gestured to a chair in the corner. "Mind if I sit?"

She nodded her acquiescence. "Go right ahead. That chair has seen more tail than a rock star lately.” — 2 people liked it

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King of Darkness (Chronicles of Yavn #1)

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